heike gerbig

Photos courtesy Heike Gerbig. All rights reserved.

The best aspect of being part of the blog world is definitely the wonderful people you connect with. One of them is Heike Gerbig from Berlin. I came across her blog Gerdiary several years ago, and with time we started to exchange comments and emails.

Photos courtesy Heike Gerbig. All rights reserved.

Heike is a former journalist and writer turned textile artist. She is taking her wordsmithing to a new level incorporating phrases and poetic thoughts into her work, which consists of fabric collages, notebooks, jewelry, and soft creatures. She uses vintage fabrics, remnants, paper, and natural dyed cloth for her creations. Her work is wonderfully textured, beautifully hand stitched, and often made with a humorous, slightly edgy twist, which I love.

Last fall we decided to start a natural dye sample swap. So far I have received two packages with lovely swatches from Heike. It is really interesting to look at the samples and compare with my own results. The plant materials we use are sometimes different, which inspires me to try new experiments. It is a true gift having these swatches on hand, knowing they were dyed by someone dear, far away on another continent. Make sure to check out Heike's web shop as well as her etsy store. Many treasures there to be had.

Photo courtesy Heike Gerbig. All rights reserved.

adrienne antonson

Images courtesy of Adrienne Antonson. All rights reserved.

Adrienne Antonson work exemplifies meticulous attention to detail and beauty. Her sculptural replicas of insects and everyday objects are life like and ethereal. All of them are made out of human hair and other non-traditional fibers. Adrienne attributes her choice of material to "its immediacy, its beauty and flaws" ... and beacuse "it never fails to attract and repulse almost simultaneously". Adrienne also creates a clothing line, state, that is comprised of repurposed fabrics and garments, lovingly transformed into wearable pieces of art. I love the exquisite craftsmanship that infuses all of Adrienne's work as well as her resourceful and respectful choice of materials. She is a young artist based in Asheville, North Carolina, and you can find more information about her work on her website and blog. She also has an etsy store where she sells adorable felted headwear among other things.

Images courtesy of Adrienne Antonson. All rights reserved.

 This profile of Adrienne is the first in this year's series artistic delights, which focuses on artists that delight and inspire me on my own artistic journey.